Kittens and Claws
by Pimino
Summary: Something has come over Mikey. He doesn't know why or how it happened, but he does know this: every little kitten should have a home, no matter what. One-shot.


**Okay, guys. I have been constantly editing the next chapter of Brothers Until the End, and it should be coming out either tonight or tomorrow! This is just a little something random that just popped into my head. Remember to review and check out my other story before the new chapter is released!**

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><p>Raph pulls his pillow over his head, groaning. The sound in the next room has been going on non-stop for at <em>least<em> the past two hours. With heavy eyes, Raph glances at the glowing alarm clock next to him. The bright light burns his eyes, as Raph had been staring at darkness for a long time. As he eyes begin to focus, the numbers on the clock become less fuzzy. Clenching his jaw in annoyance with the world, Raph squints to see them. As soon as he does, anger rises from inside of him, and he is a rocket as he shoots out of bed.

"IT IS FIVE IN THE MORNING, MIKEY," he exclaims, pounding his fist against the wall. "SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Mikey jumps, the beating on his wall giving him a start. The furry creature that was previously on his lap darts underneath the protective covers of his bed. Pressing the pause button on the booming stereo, Mikey slides off his bed and zigzags across the cluttered floor of his room. He opens up his door and walks across to his hot-headed brother's room, whose door is already wide open.

"Dude, you woke up little Whiskers while she was sleeping!" Mikey exclaims with his hands on his hips. "You have to be quieter!"

"**_I _**have to be quieter?!" Raph yells as he flips around, facing his wild little brother. "What could you possibly be doing in there with that ugly little furball? Must I say it again, it's freakin' **_five in the morning!_**"

"Whiskers likes the music, and so do I!" Mikey defensively states, his eyes suddenly turning soft and dream-like. "It's almost like we are meant to be together.."

Raph doesn't respond; instead, he stares at the daydreaming Mikey with an expression of annoyance and incredulity.

"That's it, I'm getting Leo."

Raph jumps out of his warm, cozy sheets, muttering to himself as he pushes past Mikey and walks out. Fuming with anger, Raph pounds on his older brother's door. Not even waiting for an answer, he brutally swings it open. The door slams against the back wall, and Leo wakes with alarm.

"Wha-What's wrong? What happened?" Leo frantically questions as he shoots up like a bolt. He sees Raph standing at the entrance of his room, fire in his eyes. Then, Mikey comes up behind the infuriated turtle in the doorway, and gives a slightly hesitant wave. Leo sighs, and while rubbing the sleep from his eyes, groans, "What happened this time, Raph?"

"We shouldn't have gotten him that stupid cat, Leo! Mikey has been up all night with that sorry excuse for an animal, blasting music just for the heck of it! I haven't gotten any sleep!" Raph protests as he looks over his shoulder to glare at a cowering Mikey.

"Raph, the cat makes him happy. I'm sure the excitement of having it will wear off soon. Can't you just deal with it for a few more days?" Leo mutters as he lies back down in his bed. Honestly, he could never get a break from his feuding brothers, even at five in the morning.

Raph stares at the back of Leo's head, burning a hole through it. "No, I can't! This is the third day in a row, Leo! The third day!"

Leo gives an even deeper sigh then before, his eyes tightly shut. "Fine, Raph. If it happens again, I'll.. figure out what to do. Until then, just go back to bed. You too, Mikey."

Raph groans and spins on his heel, looming over his youngest brother. Mikey gulps as he looks at the fury – and exhaustion – in Raph's eyes.

"I swear to God, Mikey, if I hear another word from your room, I'm going to take that stupid cat and-"

"Go to sleep, Raph!" Leo loudly exclaims, cutting Raph off short.

Raph clenches his fists and shoulder-bumps Mikey on the way to his room, slamming the door behind him. Mikey gives a small whimper then trudges back to his own room. Gently, he sits on his bed, trying not to startle the slumbering Whiskers. He softly pets her, love in his every stroke. His fingers brush over a troubling scar on the side of the cat's head, and Mikey feels a tinge of sadness run through him.

"I'm so glad we went on that mutagen hunt, Whiskers," he whispers as he rubs between the cat's ears. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have ever found you!"

Mikey smiles to himself as he leans over and flicks the light on his bedstand off. The room floods with darkness as he slips himself underneath the covers, his head lying beside Whiskers' fluffy, curled-up body.

* * *

><p>Donnie leads the group through quiet city, the only light being from the stars above them. His mutagen tracker had picked up a distant signal while the group was sitting in the common room, calmly watching Space Heroes.<p>

Well, it was more like Raph yelling at Mikey about how much Whiskers had already scratched the couch, and Leo and Donnie holding him back before he ripped the youngest turtle's head off. But hey, that is as calm as it's ever going to get.

The mutagen tracker silently beeps and buzzes in Donnie's hand as he races across the rooftops with his three brothers. As the blue arrow comes closer to the red dot on the digital map, Donnie slows down and comes to a halt.

"Okay guys, we should spread out from here. It should be around here somewhere," Donnie states to the group. They all give a slight nod before heading off in different directions.

Silence fills the air as the turtles search the surrounding rooftops and alleyways. Minutes tick by before, eventually, Raph, Leo, and Donnie come back together.

"Are you sure it's here?" Raph questions as he kicks over a box.

"100 percent positive. The coordinates are exactly where we are. If we just look some more, I'm sure we'll, um.. hey, where's Mikey?"

The three brothers glance around at Donnie's question. A quick startle rushes through all three turtles. Whenever Mikey goes missing, it usually doesn't end well..

"Oh great, now we're not only searching for an impossible canister of mutagen, but we're looking for something even harder. And stupider," Raph growls, rolling his emerald eyes.

Ignoring Raph's sarcastic comment, Leo replies: "You really need to stop fighting with Mikey over Whiskers. You know Mikey doesn't handle that stuff very well."

Raph huffs out a puff of air before replying: "It's not my fault ya allowed him to drag that furry disease into our lives. You're too much of a pushover."

Leo furrows his brow in confusion. "What? I am not. I just thought that Mikey needed something to keep him entertained - other than me, of course."

"Well, Raph's got a point, Leo," Donnie interrupts. "You agree to anything Mikey wants, which doesn't teach him any restraint."

"No, that's just how Mikey is. Besides-"

Mikey jumps onto Leo from behind, a wild laugh escaping from his grinning face. The blue-banded turtle gives out a yelp of confusion as he stumbles backwards from the surprising weight.

"M-Mikey, what are you doing?"

"I found it, bros!" Mikey exclaims happily as he waves the mutagen canister in the air. "It was behind a really smelly dumpster, but I got it anyways! And alsoooo…"

Mikey reaches behind him and whips back around, warmth and happiness written all across his face.

Raph smacks his hand against his face, repeatedly. Donnie leans his head backwards, letting a groan rumble throughout his throat. But Leo gives a warm smile, reaching his hand forward to stroke the small kitten that Mikey holds in his arms.

"Are you kiddin' me, Leo?" Raph exclaims, a bright red spot on his forehead. "This is what I was talking about! You let Mikey do anything!"

Leo shoots Raph a stern look, making him shut his mouth immediately. Leo reluctantly pulls his hand away from the cat, and lets it hang by his side.

"Mikey, it's adorable, but we can't get another cat. Master Splinter doesn't even know that we have Whiskers, and you know he's going to be upset about that," Leo explains while giving Mikey a regretful look. He knows his brothers are right; he does let Mikey get away with a lot more. Mikey needs to experience disappointment at least a few times in his lifetime.

"But-But Leo," Mikey whimpers, lowering the fuzzy cat to the floor. "I think there's something wrong with it's paw. Look at how he's walking!"

Leo, Raph, and Donnie look down at the skinny, meowing cat. It hobbles forward, using only three legs. It's fourth leg dangles a few inches above the ground, sending a jab of guilt throughout Leo.

"Well, I mean, I'm sure one more won't-"

"No, no, no Mikey, you can't take that rodent home this time. Gosh, Leo, gain some self-control, man," Raph shoots a hard look at Leo, who looks at the struggling kitten with shame. He had done it again.

"Leo, please? Look at the little buddy! He needs our help, and we can't just leave someone in need behind!"

Leo glances up at Raph, who gives him a slight nod towards Mikey. He swallows hard, the lump in his throat going down with the spit.

"Sorry Mikey, Raph's right this time. We can't take him home," Leo explains, his heart falling along with Mikey's face. "I'm sure he will be okay. I mean, he's survived for at least a bit, right?"

Mikey stares back coldly, sending ice blades through Leo's very own soul. He crosses his arms before saying, "You guys are heartless."

Without warning, Mikey throws the canister of mutagen at Donnie, who barely reacts quick enough to catch it. He spins around and takes off back towards the manhole cover that leads to the lair, not looking back.

"Great, look at what you've caused, Raph," Leo mutters, watching as his heart-broken, youngest brother race away from them.

"This is what happens when you never say no to him!" Raph replies defensively.

The weak kitten by their feet meows with desperation. They all glance down at it before simultaneously letting out a sigh. The cat stumbles over to Raph and rubs it's gentle head against his leg. Instead of feeling pity, Raph shakes it off, making it hiss and limp away from him.

"Let's just get this kitten back on the sidewalk, and I'm sure everything will be alright," Raph continues as he grimaces at the stubborn cat. "Mikey will get over this little obsession soon enough."

* * *

><p>Raph rolls over in his bed, giving a slight moan. Opening his mouth in a yawn, he blinks open his eyes, feeling refreshed.<p>

"Glad Mikey finally decided to listen," he mumbles to himself as he sits up and stretches. "I have never slept so well before in my life."

He pulls on his belt, knee pads, elbow pads, and throws his sais into their leather holders before walking out his room and into the common area with a slight smile on his face.

Instantly, his face falls and turns pale.

"**_LEO! DONNIE!_**"

Leo wakes, once again, with a leap in his heart. Without even fully waking up, he grabs his katanas and awkwardly stumbles out his room. No one ever wakes him by screaming unless it is a life or death emergency. Tripping over a few of the bumps in the floor as he turns the corner, Leo regains his balance before focusing on the horrid scene before him. He comes to a stop behind Raph, lowering his swords as Donnie tiredly stumbles out of his lab. The left side of his face is red, probably from falling asleep on a keyboard. But the rosy side of his cheek makes a great contraction again his wide, brown, and alarmed eyes.

"What the hell happened?" Raph questions slowly, letting the puzzled words roll off his tongue.

"I don't.. I don't.." Leo stutters as he gazes around the room in astonishment. He drops his katanas completely, the sound of the metal hitting floor quietly echoing in his ears.

The billions of cats fill up the room to the very brim. Soft meows fill the ears of the three dumbfounded brothers, making it difficult to hear anything else. The cats jump from counter to counter, they scratch viciously at the couch, they curiously paw at one another. A few limp, a few fight, a few have scars as long as Leo's forearm. Strays. All of them, strays.

Whiskers pounces towards Donnie playfully, but the purple-banded turtle doesn't even recognize her. He stares, open-mouthed, at the monstrosity in front of him.

"Here, kitty kitty kitty kitty kiiittyyyyy!" a singsong voice announces as Mikey enters the room from the kitchen. He holds a large bowl of milk in his right hand and an even larger cat in his left hand. He snuggles the feline before setting it down next to his feet.

Donnie, Raph, and Leo just stare at him over the ocean of fuzz.

"M-Mikey what did you.. do?" Donnie chokes out, watching his little brother set the bowl on the ground.

Mikey jumps up, obviously not aware of his brothers' presence until that moment. His eyes drift over all of his brothers, and he swallows.

"Oh, hey D, Leo… Raph," he squeaks, intentionally not meeting Raph's eyes. "Haha, I thought you guys would, you know, um, still be sleeping.."

"Mikey, where did all these strays come from?" Leo questions as he takes a step forward, dodging the little furballs that scatter beneath his foot.

"Funny thing, actually," Mikey replies as he rubs the back of his neck, "Last night, ya know, after the mutagen dealio, I couldn't really sleep. I couldn't forget about that little kitten that we just left there. So, heh, I went back and got him! .. The end.."

"Oh, silly me, I didn't know that one cat can **_multiply into a million different copies in one night!_**" Raph yells, taking a step towards Mikey.

Mikey stumbles backwards, knowing the pain that is going to occur at any second unless he goes on.

"Okay, okay, chill! After I got Claws-"

"Claws?" Donnie asks, obviously not impressed.

"Yeah, Claws. Anyways, after I got him, I saw another little kitty sleeping underneath a bench and I couldn't help but bring him with me! And then I saw another, and another, and another.. And then I started searching for them, because I knew that there were other homeless cats out there too!"

"Mikey, you are such an idiot! I can't even tell you what Splinter is going to do when he wakes up!"

"You guys just don't understand! How are these little guys any different from the people we save, like, every other day?"

"Mikey, I know where your heart is, but you have to admit, this is insane!" Leo exclaims as he sweeps his arm across the room, showcasing the billions of cats.

"And you remember the last time we let you keep a cat, before Whiskers at least?" Donnie says, crossing his arms in defiance.

"What? You guys never let me keep a cat before, you have never let me do anything!" Mikey yells back, startling his smarty-pants brother.

"Does 'Ice Cream Kitty' ring any bells?" Raph harshly spits out as he clenches his teeth together. "And stop acting like a two year old. You get away with everything, as long as Leo lives."

"Hey!" Mikey and Leo say in chorus. Raph just shrugs and continues to watch the cats make a wreck of their lair.

Mikey sniffles before stating, "Well, I don't care what you guys say or what Splinter does! I'm not just going to throw these little, precious gems back onto the filthy, unforgiving streets!"

Raph scoffs with disbelief, but Leo elbows him in the side before speaking up.

"We can't leave them here, though, Mikey. Do you have any other ideas?"

The room is silent (except for the constant meowing and purring, of course) as Mikey tilts his head in deep thought.

"I do have one.. but I don't like it."

* * *

><p>"Goodbye, Paws. I will always remember and love you," Mikey whispers to a small, brown kitten as he sets it on a porch. He wipes a small tear from his eye before knocking on the glass sliding door. Swiftly, he jumps out of sight and towards his brothers who hide in the shadows.<p>

He watches with a grieving expression as a human responds to the knock, then notices the helpless cat lying on the ground.

"Oh my gosh, thank the heavens, we are finally _doooooonnnnneeeee!_" Raph exhales out as the human picks up the kitten and brings it inside.

Donnie gives a wide yawn while Leo rubs the back of his neck in exhaustion.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Donnie says, putting a gentle hand on Mikey's shoulder. "I'm sure the cats will like their new homes."

"Thanks, Donnie," Mikey whispers back, sniffling up the rest of his remaining snot. Donnie gives him a sympathetic smiling, raising Mikey's mood.

"Let's head back, guys," Leo's drained voice speaks to the group.

They all nod, and turn around, beginning to race back towards their home.

But a small, weak sound attracts Mikey's attention before he begins to sprint after his brothers.

A pure white and adorable cat climbs out of the shadows, and Mikey's heart melts straight into a puddle.

"Guys, wait!"


End file.
